Playing the grass-is-greener game whenever Ford Europe puts out a new, high-performance variant of the Euro Focus is getting tedious. Perhaps Brits do the same thing when Ford North America sends out yet another Mustang derivative. Ah, screw it; here goes one more. It's the Ford Focus ST500, a spec'd-up Focus to be built in extremely limited number. Pick up your jaw from the floor; the ST500 has not a thing in common with the Mustang GT500, save a set of racing stripes (this, in 1966 LeMans livery of the legendary GT40). It's powered by the same, 225-horsepower 20-valve five banger as in the Focus ST, but comes with an accessory set including scarlet leather Recaro sports seats and matching upholstery, special badging, automatic Xenon headlamps, auto-dimming rear view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and solar-reflect windscreen. It comes complete for 20 British large, which with the falling dollar equals something like $37 billion.

Press Release: FOCUS LAUNCHES UNIQUE FOCUS ST500

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 07 November, 2007 - Ford has announced the arrival of a new special edition of the high performance Focus ST. Called the Focus ST500, and priced from £20,495, it will be available to just 500 UK customers.

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The Ford Focus ST500 is based on the top-of-the-range Focus ST3 with the addition of unique features. All models are finished in metallic black with classic silver bonnet, roof and side stripes which are designed to echo the livery of the winning GT40 in the 1-2-3 victory at Le Mans in 1966.

Power comes from the Focus ST's acclaimed 20-valve five-cylinder Duratec 2.5 engine, which develops 225PS at 6,100rpm and 320Nm of torque at just 1,600rpm. Since its introduction in 2005, the Focus ST has established itself as one of the finest "hot hatchbacks" ever made and received critical acclaim from the specialist media and enthusiast customers alike.

With sales of over 13,500, the Ford Focus ST is now firmly positioned as the most sought after performance hatchback in the UK, and reflects the motorsport success of the all-conquering Focus RS WRC, which saw Ford take the 2006 WRC manufacturer's title, and which currently heads the 2007 World Rally Championship.